Edinburgh Trial 2026 Excelsior Section

Founded in 1903, this is the oldset motorsport event, and it is still running using some of the original, untarmaced, route from London to Edinburgh. The trial is only held on those sections in the Peak District from the original trial. Competitors had 24 hours to get from London to Edinburgh, mostly on untarmaced roads. The trial was then made more difficult by making it London to Edinburgh and back. This video just gives a flavour of the event, but bear in mind the competitors have been driving, or riding, right through the night since the start at 22.00. Off road sections through woods, up steep, twisty gravel tracks, grassy slopes slippery from dew, in the dark. When negotiating 'off road' routes momentum is your friend, so to test the driving/riding skill of the entrants, compulsory stop and restart boxes are put in, just at the most testing point of the section when momentum is most needed! It requires good setting up of the vehicle and considered driving to get going again, especially when it is wet. This year, the weather was very benign, it was dry and warm. For more information on the event and it's history, see The Motorcycling Club website.